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Text model · GLM

GL GLM-4 9B: RAM and VRAM requirements

GLM-4 9B needs about 7.3 GB to run at Q4_K_M (the Q4_K_M GGUF file is ~5.82 GB to download; KV cache and overhead add the rest), or about 10.8 GB at Q8_0. The lightest hardware that runs it is Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB).

GLM family · 9B params · released Jun 2024.

Shopping for hardware? See what runs GLM-4 9B →

License GLM-4 License · Conditional ↓ 84.6K/mo ♥ 708 on HuggingFace
Q4_K_M GGUF
5.82 GB
Q8_0 GGUF
9.31 GB
Memory @ Q4 (4k)
~7.3 GB
Context
128 k

Q4_K_M and Q8_0 are GGUF download (file) sizes. Memory @ Q4 includes the KV cache and overhead, so it runs larger than the file on disk.

Will it run on your device?

GLM-4 9B runs on 33 of 40 tracked devices at Q4_K_M.

31 run well 2 tight fit 7 too small
Fit check Q4_K_M
Yes, it runs fast
needs 7.3 GB usable 10.5 GB
See the full breakdown
$ollama run glm4:9b

Memory breakdown

Weights (Q4_K_M)5.82 GB
+
KV cache (4k)0.7 GB
+
Overhead0.8 GB
=
Total7.3 GB

How context length changes it

4k context ~7.3 GB 32k context ~12.4 GB 128k context ~29.6 GB

Longer context grows the KV cache quickly: GLM-4 9B needs ~7.3 GB at 4k but ~29.6 GB at 128k, which can push it past a device that fits it at a short context.

Speed drops too: every token re-reads the KV cache, so at 128k context GLM-4 9B generates at roughly ~20% of its short-context speed. How this is estimated.

Quantization sizes

GGUF quantson disk
Quantization Size on disk
Q2_K 3.8 GB est
Q3_K_M 4.4 GB est
Q4_K_M (default) 5.82 GB
Q5_K_M 6.4 GB est
Q6_K 7.4 GB est
Q8_0 9.31 GB
FP16 18 GB est

Lower quant = smaller and faster, slightly lower quality. Q4_K_M is the common default.

Run it

Ollama
$ ollama run glm4:9b
llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf bartowski/glm-4-9b-chat-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get bartowski/glm-4-9b-chat-GGUF

Which devices can run GLM-4 9B?

Apple Silicon Macs

RAM-only laptops

iPhone & iPad

Android

NVIDIA GPUs

AMD GPUs

Same job, different size

Pick by what fits your memory: step down to free up VRAM, or step up if you have headroom.

Next size down Granite 4.1 8B 8.8B Next size up Falcon3 10B 10B

Similar models

Head-to-head

FAQ

How much VRAM or RAM does GLM-4 9B need?

At Q4_K_M, GLM-4 9B needs about 7.3 GB (weights ~5.82 GB + KV cache + overhead) at a 4k context. At Q8_0 budget ~10.8 GB.

What is the Q4_K_M GGUF file size of GLM-4 9B?

The Q4_K_M GGUF file is about 5.82 GB to download, and the Q8_0 GGUF is about 9.31 GB. That is the weights file on disk; to run it you also need room for the KV cache and overhead, so budget ~7.3 GB of memory at Q4_K_M.

Can GLM-4 9B run on a laptop?

GLM-4 9B is large; you need a 24 GB+ GPU or a 32-48 GB Mac at Q4_K_M.

Can I use GLM-4 9B commercially?

Conditionally. GLM-4 Model License: review terms for commercial use.

Understand the numbers

Short guides to the ideas behind GLM-4 9B's memory and quant figures.

Zhipu GLM-4 9B, multilingual, 128K context. Q4_K_M and Q8_0 sizes from the bartowski GGUF repo.

Sources

Last validated 2026-08-03. Memory figures are estimates. See methodology.